London to London - the jumps

As the IAAF World Championships London 2017 approach, take a look back at how the jumps have moved on since the 2012 Olympics.

13/04/2017 10:30

High jump

Men: Ivan Ukhov stood alone at the top of a packed podium in 2012 after dominating the competition. American Erik Kynard was alone in silver while Robbie Grabarz, Derek Drouin and Mutaz Essa Barshim shared bronze.

Since then, Drouin has emerged as the ultimate championship performer, winning the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2015 World Championships and finally the Olympics in 2016, with Bohdan Bondarenko winning gold in Moscow in 2013.

The Canadian has the championship pedigree to make him favourite in London, but with so many athletes capable of going high, the men’s high jump promises to be one of the battles of the championships.

Women: Veteran Spaniard Ruth Beitia finished fourth at the London Games, but at the age of 37 rose to the occasion in Rio to triumph over a close field.

With a winning height of 1.97m – eight centimetres lower than the winning jump in 2012 – Beitia won on the basis of previous clearances over Mirela Demireva, Blanka Vlasic and Chaunte Lowe who all cleared the same height.

So many women look like wrestling for the top spot, which sets the high jump up to be one of the most unpredictable of all events this summer.

Long jump

Men: One of a trio of stars of ‘Super Saturday’ at London 2012, Greg Rutherford entered the Olympics as world no.1 and left with his first global title.

Rutherford followed up his Olympic success with wins in the Commonwealth Games and European Championships in 2014 and finally the World Championships in 2015 where he produced his second best ever jump.

The Briton finished third in Rio last year, losing his Olympic title to American Jeff Henderson who will now target taking Rutherford’s world title back where the Brit's victorious legacy begun. However, South African Olympic silver medallist Luvo Manyonga has so far set the bar for 2017 by producing an 8.62m leap – the furthest seen for eight years.

Women: From 2009 when she won her first world gold, American Brittney Reese had been dominant on the world stage and took an expected Olympic title with her second jump in London.

The American went on to win a third successive title in Moscow the following year before taking time out of the sport in 2014.

In her absence fellow countrywoman Tianna Bartoletta won the 2015 World Championship long jump title, who then went on to better Reese by two centimetres in Rio and set up a mouth-watering showdown for 2017.

Triple jump

Men: Christian Taylor came to prominence the year before London and cemented his place as the world’s top triple jumper in 2012 on his Olympic debut with gold.

Frenchman Teddy Tamgho leaped out beyond 18 metres to win the following year, but Taylor, after remastering his technique as a result of injury, is back as the world’s best with wins in 2015 and 2016.

In Beijing two years ago Taylor threatened Jonathan Edwards' longstanding world record, and the American is a good bet to push the Brit’s mark of 18.29m close once again this year when he returns to London as the runaway favourite for gold.

Women: Caterine Ibarguen has been the dominant triple jumper over the past four seasons, though she was made settle for silver back in London as Olga Rypakova left with the crown.

Since then Ibarguen has been nothing short of unstoppable, going on a 34-meeting unbeaten streak and taking in two World Championship and one Olympic gold.

Young Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas is Ibarguen’s closest competitor, though finished 19 centimetres back in Rio de Janeiro. It will take a huge effort to topple the classy Colombian.

Pole vault

Men: Renaud Lavillenie was one of the stars of London 2012 as he set an Olympic pole vault record under immense pressure, but the Frenchman hasn’t won a global outdoor title since.

Lavillenie is one of the megastars of international athletics but has surprisingly never won a World Championship title, missing out despite being favourite on four successive occasions as he finished with three bronzes and a silver.

Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva shocked Lavillenie in Rio as he became the first vaulter to clear 6.00m in Olympic competition. London will provide Lavillenie with the perfect stage to put to break his World Championship hoodoo.

Women: Indoor world record-holder Jenn Suhr got the better of Cuba’s Yarisley Silva in London but since then no athlete has remained top dog for a sustained period.

Legend Yelena Isinbayeva took the title in 2013, Silva in 2015 and then Greece’s Ekaterini Stefanidi narrowly won Olympic gold in Rio last year.

Even then, US Olympic silver medallist Sandi Morris ended 2016 as world no.1, becoming just the second athlete in history to clear 5.00m outdoors. At this stage it’s a tough ask to say who will emerge in 2017 as the main contender for gold.